Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right this minute?

We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which restaurants have been getting a significant increase in attention this month.

To find out who made the list, we looked at Washington businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.

Read on to see which spots are extra hot, right now.

Roaming Rooster 

Open since 2018, this chicken shop and traditional American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.

Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 1.3% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Roaming Rooster saw a 52% increase, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Roaming Rooster's review count increased by more than 160%.

Located at 3176 Bladensburg Road NE in Petworth, Roaming Rooster features fried chicken and fried chicken sandwiches, with sides such as french fries, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese and Southern-style greens.

Roaming Rooster is open from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday.

Duke's Grocery

Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Foggy Bottom's Duke's Grocery, the bar and gastropub is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.

While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, Duke's Grocery bagged a 43.9% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight upward trend from a 3.5-star rating a month ago to its current four stars.

There's more that's trending on Washington's bar scene: Mission Navy Yard has seen a 5.4% increase in reviews.

Open at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW since May, Duke's Grocery offers burgers, banh mi with turmeric shrimp and masala toast with spiced potatoes and beetroot, as well as soups and salads.

Duke's Grocery is open from 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.–3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Shilling Canning Company

Navy Yard's Shilling Canning Company is also making waves. Open since July at 360 Water St. SE, the wine bar and New American spot has seen a 50% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.4% for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Shilling Canning Company's review count increased by more than 160%.

There's more than one hot spot trending in Washington's New American category: Station 4 has seen a 3.2% increase in reviews.

Shilling Canning Company's dishes include ingredients from regional farmers, fishermen and producers. Among the offerings are a Maryland mushroom tart, ribeye steak and crab fritters. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating improve from four stars to 4.5 stars.

The restaurant is open from 5 –10 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday and 5 –11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Monday.)

The Bar @ Milk & Honey

Brightwood's The Bar @ Milk & Honey is the city's buzziest breakfast and brunch spot by the numbers, with a four-star rating on Yelp. 

The restaurant, formerly Catch 22, opened at 5832 Georgia Ave. NW in July. It has increased its new review count by 9.8% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.4% for the Yelp category "Breakfast & Brunch."

It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: Modern Market Eatery has seen a 2.1% increase in reviews.

The Bar @ Milk & Honey offers Belgian waffles, Caribbean style whole red snapper, blackened salmon and grits, smothered chicken and biscuits and jerk lamb with garlic hash and tomatoes.

The Bar @ Milk & Honey is open from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)

---

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.